Virginia Cavaliers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/14/2026

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Saturday, February 14, 2026

Venue:  Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN

Where to Watch:  FOX

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  UVA -4.5, OSU +4.5; Over/Under:  146.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  UVA -4.5, OSU +4.5; Over/Under:  146.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  UVA -4.5, OSU +4.5; Over/Under:  145.5 points

Virginia Cavaliers:  21-3 (10-2) (2nd place, ACC)

Ohio State Buckeyes:  16-8 (8-6) (10th place, Big Ten)

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Virginia Cavaliers:  5-0  last 5

Ohio State Buckeyes:  3-2  last 5

Virginia is entering this game with a 21-3 record overall, a 10-2 record in conference games, and they are 2-1 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Florida State Seminoles in their last game. Jacari White led the team in points in that game with 19 while Thijs De Ridder and Sam Lewis each were next on the team with 9. Chance Mallory led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Thijs De Ridder led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 37.7% from the field, 30.3% from 3-point range, and 62.5% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 81.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.5 PPG against them. Virginia has an ATS record of 12-10-2 this season and their O/U record is 9-15.

Ohio State is entering this game with a 16-8 record overall, an 8-6 conference record, and they are 1-1 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the USC Trojans in their last game. Bruce Thornton led the team in points in that game with 21 while Devin Royal was next on the team with 19. Bruce Thornton led the team in assists with 8 in that game while Devin Royal led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 50% from the field, 31.8% from 3-point range, and 96% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 81.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 73.7 PPG against them. Ohio State has an ATS record of 9-14-1 this season and their O/U record is 12-12.

The current betting odds have Virginia listed as a 4.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Virginia has looked great in their games this season with their 21-3 record overall and their 10-2 conference record which has them right near the top of the ACC. They are also 2-1 in their neutral site games this year. Meanwhile, Ohio State has looked good in their games this season with their 16-8 record overall and their 8-6 conference record which has them in the top half of the Big Ten. They are only 1-1 in their neutral site games this year though. Ohio State has looked good lately as they are off a win over USC and they are 3-2 in their last 5 games, but they have been really up and down in the Big Ten this season and they definitely aren't an elite team. They are a bubble team this year and they have shown that they don't really have the talent to compete with some of the best teams in the conference. Now they are playing a non-conference game in the middle of their season, but this isn't going to be easy against another ranked opponent who has looked like one of the best teams in the ACC this year. Virginia is off a tight win over Florida State who isn't a great team, but they have picked up some really good wins in their conference this year. They have also been rolling in their games lately with 5 wins in a row now, so they enter this game with a ton of momentum. Virginia is the more talented team here and Ohio State has a lot more pressure on them to pick up a good win here out of conference. Look for Virginia to continue rolling in this one. The best way to place a bet here is on Virginia to cover the spread in this game. 

Virginia Ohio State Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, February 14, 2026 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Virginia 79 Ohio State 71.

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Virginia Cavaliers: 7-4 ATS in non-conference games. 9-4 ATS versus good shooting teams - making 45% of their shots or more. 7-1 ATS vs. good free throw shooting teams - making 72% of their attempts or more. 8-1 UNDER off a win against a conference rival.

Ohio State Buckeyes: 1-5 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 4-8 ATS versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game. 4-8 ATS versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 5-0 UNDER when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 80%).

Virginia Cavaliers:  None.

Ohio State Buckeyes:  B. Noel (F) Questionable - Foot. M. Herro (G) Out - Redshirt. J. Ojianwuna (F) Questionable - Knee.

"It's keeping fresh guys in there. I think that's the first thing. We had a stretch there where one group was on a run, and then they got dead tired, and I think we pulled it to two at that point. We had to sub, and I think just credit the depth, the resiliency of the group, we have an experienced group that never feels like they're out of it. We certainly have to play better than we're playing right now if we want to challenge the best teams in the country. But I think the overall depth is something that this team certainly has and relies on. But there's a toughness when you've won, I guess it's 21 games now, they just they figure it out. They can win pretty, they can win ugly, and they just kind of find a way." - Ryan Odom after his team’s win against FSU in their last game. 

“It feels very, very crucial. It’s a team with similar metrics, it’s a home game, similar standings in the Big Ten, all that stuff, right? Which, again, we’re going to keep facing as the year goes on. I think most importantly, the results are critical right now. Let’s take that aside.” - Jake Diebler after his team’s win against USC in their last game. 

T. De Ridder 

J. Grünloh 

D. Hall 

S. Lewis 

M. Thomas

A. Bynum 

J. Mobley 

D. Royal 

B. Thornton 

C. Tilly

PPG: Thijs De Ridder (16.1)

APG: Dallin Hall (4.2)

Reb/G: Thijs De Ridder (6.6)

PPG: Bruce Thornton (19.3)

APG: Bruce Thornton (3.8)

Reb/G: Devin Royal (5.7)

Coaches:

Virginia Cavaliers: Ryan Odom (1st season)

Ohio State Buckeyes: Jake Diebler (3rd season)